There are factors that influence innovation departments and other laboratories to conduct different tests, research and clinical trials for softgels, such as increasing cardiovascular diseases and trends towards natural products. So, is softgel a natural product?

Not necessarily, softgel has that soft consistency because gelatin is its raw material, but manufacturers can include a huge posibilitie of compounds in each production to give it the desired purpose. Yes, it can include natural, organic and even vegan compounds, as the market has demanded in the last five years.

But there is a tremendously influential agent in the growth of this presentation of diverse products, an agent that also influences the value of the softfel market to be valued at 4.88 billion dollars last year, we are talking about COVID-19.

The pandemic not only played a part in changing our daily habits as individuals, such as improving our diet to strengthen our immune system, as well as paying more attention to our psychological health, but also put leaders in the healthcare industries to work.

Since the arrival of the pandemic, numerous companies have begun research to develop oral vaccines, and five companies worldwide are developing orally administered vaccines. There are even companies that are collaborating to meet the requirements of oral vaccines, but what are they really? Do they work? A vaccine is a biological product whose purpose is to create defenses against a specific disease. When administered, the immune system reacts as if it were in contact with the disease, so it develops defenses to fight it, which is why the vaccine must be applied before the organism comes into contact with the infectious agents. But for diseases such as poliomyelitis, the vaccine was not given by injection, it was given orally and in some cases, the influenza vaccine was given nasally.

Another interesting part is how companies are researching to offer different possibilities for their capsules using a mixture of porcine and bovine gelatin thanks to its exceptional properties. The bovine-derived gelatin can improve the decision making ability of the capsule and the porcine gelatin offers an attribute of flexibility and clarity to the formulation. Although, organic trends are coming with everything and therefore it is important for brands or companies to consider them as a good alternative raw material.

Vitamins and dietary supplements represent the largest revenues in the global industry and lead with the largest shares in terms of annual revenues. In addition, soft gelatin capsules are the main formulation alternative as they protect against ultraviolet radiation and other factors involved in prolonging or reducing the shelf life of each product.

In addition, studies propose that vitamins, when administered in softgel form, are rapidly immersed into the bloodstream compared to tablet formulation. Therefore, these benefits of vitamins are manufactured in this format, consequently, boosting the demand for the segment across the global industry.

The health industry is also expected to see an increase in products and medicines in these presentations due to the growing inclination towards healthy lifestyles to balance health and boost the immune system as a result of the pandemic. In turn, the increasing acceptance of bland medications and the increasing response to prenatal and postnatal pills are also attributed to the demand for softgel products. Hence, these factors are gaining tremendous prominence in the market driving the industry demand in the coming years.

The most populr softgel products:

Consumer audience studies and analyses suggest the following list as the most in-demand softgel products:

• Immune system supplements
• Cough and cold products
• Anti-inflatulents and antacids
• Anti-anemia supplements or medications
• Pregnancy products
• Anti-inflammatory products
• Antibiotics and antibacterials
• Vitamin supplements